The family of a Florida man killed by a sheriff’s deputy has been awarded 4 cents by a federal jury.
The jury ruled Thursday that 30-year-old Gregory Hill Jr. was 99 percent responsible for his death because he was drunk and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office was 1 percent responsible. TCPalm reports the jury awarded Hill’s relatives $4, of which they get 1 percent.
Deputy Christopher Newman and his partner went to Hill’s home in 2014 for a loud music complaint. After they knocked on the garage and front doors, Hill opened the garage. When the door started back down, Newman fired, killing Hill. An unloaded gun was found in Hill’s pocket.
Tests showed Hill’s blood-alcohol content was 0.40, five times the driving limit.
Newman was not indicted, but Hill’s mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against both Newman and his boss, St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara. Newman was cleared and Mascara was given a small portion of blame.
Police say Hill pulled out a gun, but the family’s attorney, John Phillips, disputed that claim, questioning how the gun ended up in Hill’s back pocket before he died.
“I’d have rather seen a zero than have to tell the children that their pain and suffering for losing their father is only a dollar,” Phillips, told NBC News.
On the jury’s decision, Phillips added, “Either it was punitive or they viewed these children’s pain as virtually worthless.”
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office released a statement the day the verdict was reached from Mascara: “We are pleased to see this difficult and tragic incident come to a conclusion. Deputy Newman was placed in a very difficult situation, and like so many fellow law enforcement officers must do everyday, he made the best decision he could for the safety of his partner, himself, and the public given the circumstances he faced.”
(AP)
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4 Responses
The custom of making a “joke” award dates to English law, where the “loser” had to pay the attorney’s fees and costs of the winner, so giving someone one schilling of damages was enough to mean the loser didn’t get billed for costs. In America, it is meaningless since each side pays its own fees in most cases.
Basically killed for being drunk in his own house
Pretty big violation of his human rights
“Tests showed Hill’s blood-alcohol content was 0.40, five times the driving limit.”
But he wasnt driving!!
Pointing a gun at someone is really a bad thing to do, especially if the person you are pointing a gun at has his own gun, and its loaded. That jury determined that the defendant (the policeman) acted reasonably in shooting someone who appeared to have a gun. One might suggest that the lesson is that gun ownership (protected by the 2nd amendment) and alcohol (protected by the 21st amendment) don’t mix.